Check Mate
by crazyCANDYlovinLESBO
Summary: Life is like a game of chess. They created a kingdom, to watch it burn. Made an entire human race, to watch it suffer. But when one child figures out their game, can they remain one step ahead, or will they fall behind and lose the battle? AU TVD from two months after Jenna's death on.
1. Prologue

**Title: **_Check Mate_

**Type: **_AU/OC _

**Summary: **_Life is like a game of chess. They created a kingdom, to watch it burn. Made an entire human race, to watch it suffer. But when one child figures out their game, can they remain one step ahead, or will they fall behind and lose the battle? AU TVD from two months after Jenna's death on. _

!&!

After the first two weeks of living without her, his limbs began to feel cold, and useless. As if the lack of her touch was sucking all the life out of him.

After two months, he had all but died, himself. They said it would get better. That with time, he would be able to sleep, and eat, and live again. But, it seemed, even with all the bad, and the dangerous that was going down around him, he couldn't seem to get his mind off her. He was a nothing. An empty, hallow, cold shell of a once happy man.

Finally, after two months of telling himself that he needed to let her go, just like Isobel, and that he wouldn't be able to move on if he didn't give himself space, he caved. As he walked through the dark graveyard sometime close to midnight, a light, cool breeze blew through the air.

A flower rested tenderly between his fingers as he rolled it, causing the bud to swirl and twirl delicately. Tears fill his eyes as he kneels in front of her grave, but he refuses to let them fall. He needs to be strong. For Elena, for Jeremy, and for her memory. For everything, and everyone. He needs to keep it together.

"Hi," He says after a long pause, lifting the flower to look at it before placing it down on her grave. "I um…I came to give you this. I…I didn't know what else to bring, and I figured a gift might be nice, in return for your time, or whatever." He struggles for something to say, letting out a sigh. "Look Jenna…I want you to know that I'm sorry. So, so sorry. I should have been there, to protect you from Klaus. To keep him from turning you, period. I knew he would go after the next best thing. He would have done anything to get what he wanted from Elena, including killing the only family she has left aside from Jeremy. And I should have been there…" With nothing else to say, he sits there, staring at her grave and occasionally tracing the beautiful words engraved on the headstone.

'_Here lies Jenna Sommers, loving sister, daughter, aunt, friend, and girlfriend. R.I.P.'_

Those words cut him so deep, it was like acid burning its way through him from the inside, leaving a searing, burning, aching trail in its wake as it fought its way out through his chest.

He lets out another sigh and stands from his spot, turning around and slowly walking away. A single glance is thrown over his shoulder as he reaches his car, and a small smile makes its way to his face. "I love you, Jenna." He whispers quietly, knowing that wherever she was, she will hear him. "Always." And with that, he opens the driver's seat door and gets in, starting the car and driving off, headed towards the lake house…

!&! !&!

He pulls up to the lake, right to the edge, and stops his car. Getting out, he walks to the edge of the water and looks up at the night sky. A few moments pass before a shooting star glides gracefully through the darkness, and yet another small smile crosses his features. _All I want is to see her, alive and well, just one more time…_he pulls a small, black, felt box out of his pocket with one hand and opens it with the other, revealing a small, delicate diamond ring that sparkles in the moonlight. With his free hand, he pulls it out and stares at it for a single moment. "Goodbye, Jenna…" He mumbles before lifting it above his head and chucking it into the water, sending it out a few feet before it drops with a wet 'clunk' into the water.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Comes a soft, quiet voice from beside him. "We could have made good use of it sometime in the future."

Ric's head whips around, his eyes widening at the familiar voice. "Jenna?" He asks, his voice barely more than a whisper. The strawberry blonde simply nods with a small smile of her own.

"In the flesh," She says, reaching out to take his hand, squeezing it to show him that she's really here, and not a ghost. "See?"

Alaric is taken aback, to say the least. But he's able to squeeze back, albeit weakly. "But how? You…you were dead, I saw you!"

Jenna's smile fades, but she quickly replaces it with a wider one. "Your wish, Ric. You made a wish on a shooting star, to see me alive again."

Alaric studies her face for a moment, his eyes darting between her eyes, and to her lips, and her nose, and back to her eyes, his lips parted and mouth hanging open just a bit. "My wish? You're here because of my wish?" Jenna's smile widens, and she nods. And then, as if it should be so obvious, something dawns on Ric. "But…it's only for now, isn't it?"

Jenna frowns, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

Ric swallows thickly and looks down at their clasped hands. "I asked for just once, that means we only get a little bit, doesn't it?" And, for the first time in his life, he feels like a scared, lonely little boy, looking for his way home. But Jenna just smiles again and shakes her head.

"No, Ric. They don't pay attention to those little things, all they care is that you wanted me to live again. And, because your heart is pure, and honest, and it's not a selfish wish, they granted it."

Alaric frowns, turning a confused gaze back to her. "Who are 'they'?"

"I can't say," Jenna replies, her face falling a little. "It's not my place; they need to stay hidden for now. But the point is, you wanted something for everyone, for Jeremy, and Elena, and not just yourself. And they decided it was good, and selfless enough of a desire to give it to you."

Alaric looks into her eyes for a few moments more, feeling how the simple touch of her hand in his brings the heat, and happiness rushing back to him. "So you're really back?" He asks, wondering if this is all just a dream.

Jenna rolls her eyes. "No, I just came here to get your hopes up and then run off with some rock and roll band." She fights a smile, and looses the battle. "Yes, Ric! I'm really back." Placing a hand on his cheek, she leans in closer, lifting up on her toes to plant a quick, gentle kiss to his lips. "And by the way," she throws a sidelong glance toward the lake, still smiling. "I really meant it when I said you should have kept that ring."

Ric lets out a slightly strangled laugh, trying to hold back the tears of utter joy that she was here, standing before him in all her beauty and perfection. "Oh, Jenna. I missed you so, so much." Leaning down, he presses their foreheads together and sighs wrapping both arms around her waist and pulling her against him, so tight he fears he may be crushing her. But she shows no signs of discomfort as she wraps her arms around his neck and sighs contentedly.

"I was watching you, you know. These past months. Just checking in every now and then to make sure you were alright…"

Alaric lets a sly smirk of his own break free and quirks a single brow up. "Do I need to call the stalker patrol?" He says, eliciting a giggle and light slap to the back of his shoulder from her.

"Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery, mister! You're the one who claims he should have been stalking _me_ to keep Klaus from turning me."

"Yeah, but that would have been for your own safety!" Ric simply can't help the wide grin that is now dominating the majority of his face.

"Oh, and watching me 24/7 is _so_ much better than a few times of checking up just to see how you're doing. It's not like I was watching you get dressed!" A matching grin has taken over Jenna's face, but she couldn't care less. She's happy, and that's all she cares about in this moment.

Alaric's jaw drops dramatically, though he has to struggle to keep it open because of the grin. "Jenna!" He announces, trying to fake the tone of being appalled and failing pretty miserably. "You've been a peeping Tom, haven't you?"

Jenna rolls her eyes. "Maybe they made a mistake, after all." She says, shrugging her shoulders. "That's fine, I'll just tell them to take me back." She starts to pull away, but this action proves to be rather impossible as Ric's arms tighten around her waist.

"No!" He all but shouts, his voice taking on an almost playful err of finality. "You're mine, they can't have you back."

"Possessive much?"

Ric nods a bit and leans down to claim her lips with his own in a kiss burning with desire, and love. It's slow at first, but quickly picks up pace when he slowly slides his hands down the sides of her body and lifts her by the thighs.

She wraps her legs around his waist easily, her arms tightening around his neck and shoulders, both for support and to eliminate any remaining space between them.

Soon enough, oxygen becomes vital as their lungs scream for it, and they are forced to pull out of the kiss. But Alaric's mouth does not leave her skin. Instead, he leans down to trail sloppy kisses down the side of her neck, smiling a little when she moans and cranes her neck to allow him more access.

After a few more minutes, he can feel his legs starting to give way and starts walking towards the house, shifting his grip on the backs of his legs to keep her from slipping. Finally, when they make it up the stairs and to the door, he drops her legs. But before he can reach for the handle, she uses her grip around his neck to pull him back down and occupy his attention in a slow, lingering kiss.

He goes still, his hand halfway to the knob, and just sits there, feeling her against him, one arm still looped around her waist as their tongues indulge in a sloppy dance where half the moves are missed, or forgotten and their noses brush and bump against each other.

After a few moments of simply getting lost in the absolute bliss of just _them_, he takes a single step forward, trapping her between him and the door as his other arm snakes around to join the first one around her waist. He slides one knee between her legs, spreading her thighs and reveling in the moan of pleasure that escapes her throat.

Jenna moves her hips forward a little, increasing the friction and he grins against her lips, tightening his grip around her waist and dipping his head to once again trail kisses down her neck, grinning at the strained moan that escapes her lips once more as she turns her head to the side.

He nips and sucks in a few places, causing her to whimper, and moan, and tangle her fingers in his hair, arching into him for more contact.

Suddenly feeling trapped in the confines of her clothes, she slides her hands down his chest, spreading her fingers wide before she wraps her fingers around the spaces between his buttons and pulls on the hems of his shirt, successfully pulling three buttons loose and sending them flying across the patio, while the rest stay intact. She lets out a frustrated moan/sigh and moves her hand to continue what she started, her fingers shaking with anticipation and need, making it much harder than she would like to get his buttons through the holes, but she succeeds eventually and all but rips the casual dress shirt off his shoulders.

He assists, letting go of her with one arm at a time to shake himself free of the offending article before pulling her back against his now bare chest. After a few seconds, which seem to drag on for hours, he pulls away from her neck to resume their previous make-out session as if it had never ended. He moves his hands up her back, fingers spread wide, and grimaces when he finds soft cotton instead of silky skin beneath his touch.

Once again, he pulls away, but only long enough to pull the shirt over her head and return his mouth to hers. She complies happily, letting out a deep moan as his hands travel up her now, mostly, bare back and unhook her bra. She pushes him away, letting the fragile undergarment slide down her arms before pulling him back in and crashing her lips onto his, desperation and need seeping out of her every pore.

They spend a few more minutes lost in the moment and the feeling of lips and tongues all meeting and igniting a fire in them that was much more intense than simple butterflies. After these long, drawn out minutes, Ric reaches down with one hand and unbuttons and unzips his pants, realizing shortly after that they are outside, on the front porch of the lake house. While company isn't a problem, he's sure it won't be entirely comfortable to have sex on the hard wood of the patio, so he reaches up and turns the knob, silently thanking God that it was unlocked, and stumbles into the house, pushing her in behind him, leaving the door wide open. Their legs eventually wind up tangling together, somewhere near the bedroom, and they fall to the floor. He braces himself with his hands to keep from crushing her, his pants now halfway around his ass.

Jenna giggles into his mouth. "Ric, the door…" But the rest of her sentence dies out when he pushes himself up and pulls her pants off, which at some point must have been undone as well, most likely while she wasn't paying attention, and then comes back down and returns to their kiss.

She moans, another deep moan, when he bites down in her lower lip and pulls her knees up to his hips, spreading her legs open for him, the only thing keeping them apart now being her underwear and his pants and boxers.

In an a desperate effort to finally feel him inside her, she tries to use her feet and toes to pull his pants down, but isn't quite successful. He chuckles against her mouth and kicks his pants off the rest of the way, grinding against her with his now rock hard member and causing her to pull away and let out a deep guttural moan of pleaser.

He grins triumphantly and leans down to kiss his way down her chest, paying needed attention to her already hardened nipples one at a time. Moving his way down, he kisses the sensitive muscles of her stomach and pelvis, the skin jumping and twitching nearest the waistband of her panties.

He gently licks the side of her hip bone as he moves his way back up, claiming her mouth once again and slipping one finger into her underwear through the right leg hole, gently stroking her wet heat with the tip and causing her hips to unintentionally buck upwards, and once again slide against his clothed member.

This time, it's Ric who moans, the need for release growing to an unbearable feat as the sudden realization that this is the first time in two months that he gets to be with her like this, raw, and intimate. He pulls away again, sliding her underwear down her legs and tossing them aside.

He leans back down, one hand beside her head and the other reaching up to place his finger under her chin and pull it up until her lips meet his, in a slower, gentler kiss. This slower pace doesn't last long, as the passion grows once again and the need to free himself from the, now far too tight, boxers around his waist. He releases her chin and reaches down to do just that, pushing them down his waist as best he could before she reached down with both hands to help, sliding them down to the middle of his thighs so he could kick them off the rest of the way.

The thought crosses his mind that he could tease her here, drag her to the edge and, just as she was about to fall off, pump into her as if he couldn't take anymore. But he quickly trashes that idea, his need to feel her around him and her walls convulsing, working him higher having become too great.

Instead, he slides into her slowly, pausing to allow her to get used to the friction. She whimpers into his mouth, her closed eyelids fluttering wildly as he starts up a slow, steady pace.

She meets him, stride for stride, as he continues to pick up speed until he's going the fastest he can, and grinding as hard as he can possibly manage without hurting one of them, or tiring himself out early.

They continue on with this rhythm, him pumping in and out and her meeting his strides perfectly and evenly until they fall apart one after another, screaming out each other's names and clinging to the little bit of sanity they have left after the rollercoaster of pleasure they'd just been on.

He collapses on top of her, his chest heaving against hers and his face buried in the crook of her neck and shoulder. She breathes heavily beneath him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, sliding her fingers into his hair, damp and cool from sweat.

After they finally catch their breath, he pulls out of her and rolls over pulling her with him and letting her lay across his chest, their breathing evening out as sleep attempts to claim them with its icy clutches.

"Mm," Jenna mumbles, breathing in a deep breath as her eyes droop shut. "I missed this." A gentle smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she draws lazy patterns against his chest with her index finger.

Alaric chuckles and mumbles a soft hum of agreement. "Me, too." He whispers, barely audible except for in their close proximity. "I don't want to go to sleep, I'm afraid it'll just be a dream when I wake up."

Jenna sighs and lifts up onto her elbow, craning her head down and planting a gentle kiss to his lips before lying back on his chest. "If it is, then I'd say it's a damn good dream."

Again, Ric chuckles, kissing her forehead and releasing a deep sigh, somewhere between relief, contentment, and happiness. "The best."

Jenna smiles lazily, her eyelids drooping even further. Her breathing evens out, and her heart rate slows. Ric smiles and kisses her forehead again, closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him, as well.

!&! !&! !&!

_**I'm betting no one here can guess what comes next just from this chapter :P It's just a prologue, though. I mean, I'm sure some of you read this when it was "Life is like a game of chess" or even when it was "A drop in the ocean", but I fixed it up and redid it and am now posting it back up to hopefully get more feedback, and more views. The main characters featured will be Jenna, Alaric and two OCs. But I'm going to try to throw in some other characters. I'm not sure how awesome a job I'll do with them all, so please let me know if you see something that's OOC and I'll watch for it in the next chapter.**_

_**On another note, I really hope this has promise and isn't just some lame story line that's absolutely pointless. It's AU, and based around an idea of these two kings in my head that enjoy other people's pain. It's what I think of when someone says God, yes I'm an atheist. It's not that big of a deal, but anyway, this is sort of my take on how TVD should have gone. Because I'm not a huge fan of Silas. I think he's a cocky asshole who needs to learn some manners. Not to mention, he used Tessa for his own gain, and then expected everything to be OK. He's just an idiot, and he needs to die. **_

_**ANYWAY! That's enough of my ranting :P Pleas, please, PLEASE review! I really want to know what you guys think. **_


	2. Chapter 1: The dream

_**Remember when I said don't expect updates too often? Yeah, this long ass wait is why. You see, I lose interest easily. And then, it suddenly comes back to me. Of course, this is the first time it's come back to me with all the same ideas as I originally started out with, so that's a good sign. It means I'll probably finish this story the way I intended. Hell, it means I'll probably finish it period. **_

_**Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to say strap int. Because this could be a bumpy read.**_

Jenna woke up the next morning curled up on the hardwood floor of the hallway, a few feet away from the bedroom door. A groan escaped her lips a she rolled onto her back and let her eyes wander around the open space. _Am I still dead? _She wondered to herself, noticing a serious difference in scenery from what she remembers waking up to since the day she died. "I can't be dead…this doesn't look like heaven anymore." She mumbles quietly, sitting up slowly and trying to assess her surroundings. _The Lake House? _

"Hello?" She calls out, hoping someone is there with her. The sound of feet slowly walking toward her from the living room spikes her fight or flight reflex, and she's suddenly struck with a strong sense of PTSD. But before she can react in any rash fashion, Ric's face appears from around the wall, and the rest of him quickly follows.

"Everything okay?" He asks, his tone soft, with a hidden depth of worry to it. Her heart gives a leap and a skip as the night's events suddenly flash through her mind like her own personal movie, the feel of his soft blue button down shirt becomes more insistent against her creamy skin, and she heaves a deep sigh of relief.

"Everything's perfect." The words come out in a sort of hushed whisper that's so soft, she barely hears it herself and assumes he doesn't hear it, either. But she soon realizes it was all just muffled by the soft, rhythmic thumping of his heart. So she's not human…they lied. But she can't bring herself to care much, because he's here, standing there in all his perfection and glory with nothing but his loose fitting jeans hanging from his hips. She smiles and lifts her hands for him. "Come on, lay down with me."

A smile of his own spreads wide over his face and he steps closer, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her waist. The sound of his heart becomes even louder, and she finds that she revels in it. How can she do this without going crazy for his blood? Maybe the months being dead, and never getting to see, or touch, or be with him had erased any sort of possibility of ever wanting to harm him. She finds herself grateful to those months, despite the lack of his presence. She never would have survived before if she'd always been thinking about draining the life from his veins.

"Jenna?" Ric asks quietly as they slowly lay down together, her curling into his side and him wrapping both arms securely around her.

"Yeah?"

"I love you…" She smiles, a small smile as she starts to absentmindedly count his heart beats.

"I love you, too."

!&!

"_How do you think we should proceed with our plan, brother?" A large translucent figure asks from his large throne. Between them on the floor is a pool, shimmering and rippling. Inside the pool is an image. Or, rather, a collection of images; Jenna and Alaric cuddling in front of the bedroom door, Elena and Damon asleep in bed, Stefan writing in his journal, Jeremy, training with Matt. _

"_Our plan is only beginning. Let us leave them to revel in this false hope. It'll be all the more fulfilling when their forced to squirm under our thumbs." The other man replies; sitting in the throne beside the first one. _

"_But brother, shouldn't we at least decide on our next plan of action? Are you forgetting what father always used to tell us?" _

_The other man remains silent for a moment, before quietly mumbling, "Life is like a game of chess played with the humanity and immortality of puny beings bellow. Always keep yourself in good standing. Stay three steps ahead…" _

!&! !&!

When Jenna wakes up the next day, it's nearly dark out. Looking around, she quickly assesses that she's been moved from the hallway floor to the master bedroom, and is still wrapped in Ric's oversized shirt. A small, sleepy smile graces her face as she stretches her stiff limbs, the soft material sliding against her skin as his scent quickly fills her nose and leaves her with a kind of comforting high.

"Hello?" She calls, her voice deep and slightly muffled by sleep. "Ric, are you here?" She calls again, louder this time. When no answer comes, she groans and stumbles out of bed, pulling the bottom of his shirt back down to her mid thighs and reaching down to button it up. She's suddenly reminded of the desperate urgency that seemed to be all around them last night when her fingers come in contact with the spaces where the three buttons were missing. _You'd think a vampire could have gotten them all off…_ she thinks idly, not for a second registering that her strength wasn't full last night.

As she continues through the house, looking around and taking in the interior of the familiar family getaway, she notices a lack of heartbeats in the house. "Ric?" She calls, her voice sounding slightly nervous. "Are you here?" No response and still no heart beat. Her heart picks up pace, and her strides become heavier and faster as she walks through the house, searching for him desperately.

Finally, with nowhere else to look, Jenna walks back to the bedroom in a fleeting hope that she would find him there. But, instead, she found a note neatly folded and placed on his pillow(or what she would consider his pillow, since it's on the opposite side of the bed than she sleeps) with a rose beside it. A slow smile creeps onto her face as she walks lazily over to it and lifts it up to take a look.

_Jenna, _

_I hope you slept well. I tried to, but found myself watching you instead. I know, it sounds so corny, but…I couldn't help myself. _

_And if you're wondering where I went, well…just turn around! _

Still smiling, Jenna turns around and her eyes land on a tall figure with dark brown hair and sharp features. "Logan?" Her voice is soft, and surprised. _No heartbeat…_she thinks to herself, realizing that he, too, must be a vampire.

"Did you miss me?" A bowl of ice-cream rests in his hands, covering a bulge that's noticeable despite being hidden behind a plastic bowl. "I got a little hungry. It's your favorite, chunky monkey…want some?"

Jenna frowns now, dropping the note back onto the bed and taking a few steps back. "What are you doing here?"

A deep chuckle escapes his lips, nothing like the sweet sound she so desperately wished it was. "I'm here because I missed you. Why else would I be?"

Jenna's breath hitches in her throat, and she takes another step back. "Get out!" She shouts, grabbing the letter opener that so conveniently happens to be located on the bedside table behind her.

"But I don't want to." Logan argues, sauntering closer and dropping the bowl to the floor. Out of it spills a puddle of crimson blood, warm and thick as it slowly slides over the floor, ruining the hardwood and leaving an un-cleanable trail in its wake. "I want to _stay._" Logan's eyes fill with blood, which overflows to the veins beneath them, and she takes another step back. Before she can think, or react, he lunges at her and bites deep into her neck.

Jenna startles awake, gasping for air and bolting upright from her side, pulling out of Alaric's arms smoothly, and easily. A moan sounds from right behind her as her breathing starts up, heavy and panicked and fearful as she stares at the wall across from her. "Jenna?" Ric asks, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong?"

She shakes her head and sighs heavily, running a hand through her slightly messy curls. "I'm okay…it was just a dream."

"About what?" Ric asks, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him.

Jenna simply shakes her head and sighs. "Nothing important, it was probably just a few random things that went unsolved in my human life."

Ric nods and sighs. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" But he simply receives a nod in response. "Okay. Can we go back to sleep?" Another nod and he sighs again, laying down and pulling her with him.

She curls into his side, and lays her head on his chest, comforted by the weight of his arms wrapped securely around her.

_The first figure sighs, a mischievous smile spread wide over his features. "It's all going exactly according to the plan. Just think, in another month or so, our little game of chess will come to a close and we'll be able to move on to the next lonely planet." _

_A light chuckle comes from the second figure as he looks down at the watery mirror. "Yes. They'll never even see it coming…" _

_**As always, leave a review! Hope you enjoyed :)**_


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